1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pneumatic seasoning system and method for evenly and consistently applying seasoning material to a food product, especially farinaceous-based food products. More specifically, the invention offers improved rotating drum-type seasoning by combining the use of a pneumatic eductor and one or more in-line vacuum-generating swirl-inducing nozzles.
2. Description of Related Art
Snack food products, particularly seasoned snacks chips, are eaten and enjoyed by consumers. For example, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like often include one or more seasonings added to the snack chips after cooking but prior to packaging. To season, snack chips are typically seasoned by sprinkling one or more seasonings onto the surface of the chip products. The surfaces of the chips after seasoning provide a desirable and interesting appearance and immediate flavor to the palate upon consumption. Some common seasonings that consumers prefer, for example, include salt, barbecue flavor, sour cream and onion flavor, vinegar flavor, cheese, and others. Some of these seasonings are hygroscopic and readily absorb oil.
Seasoning is typically coated onto the surface of chips after cooking. Typically, this is advantageous in that after cooking, particularly with frying, the surface of the chips retain a surface coating of oil and are hot. When the powdered seasoning is deposited onto the exterior surface of the chips, a portion of the seasoning powder is retained.
Present techniques for distributing seasoning onto snack chips include tumbling the chips in a rotating cylindrical drum containing seasoning and sprinkling seasoning onto chips as they pass under a seasoning applicator. For example, with a rotating cylindrical drum, unseasoned snack chips enter the drum at an elevated end through a funnel. Seasoning is fed through a dispenser into an interior portion of the drum so as to coat the rotating chips. Internal baffles lift and tumble the chips to promote even coverage of seasoning as the chips are drawn toward the bottom of the drum via gravity. Thereafter, seasoned chips exit the drum and are packaged.
Seasoning is typically delivered into a seasoning drum via a screw feeder or a vibratory feeding device and then applied to product by the force of gravity alone. Unless the product is particularly moist or has an oily surface, such seasoning delivery methods do not quite achieve a desirable level of coverage or consistency. Consequently, in most prior art drum-type seasoning applicators, successful coating of the end product requires pre-seasoning application of a bonding solution or other liquid—such as sugar solution, oil, or lecithin. While the combination of seasoning drop-on and product pre-coating can be used to achieve the desired coverage, such simultaneous application of powder and liquid in close proximity introduces a high degree of complexity in controlling the seasoning process. For example, spray slurries can clog nozzles or accumulate around spray ports, altering spray patterns and ultimately preventing product uniformity. Slurry concentration, slurry temperature, spray droplet size, and product holding time, can all affect seasoning distribution, seasoning adhesion, and thus also affect product flavor and color.
Consequently, a need exists for a seasoning apparatus and process capable of applying seasoning onto snack products consistently and efficiently while keeping the overall degree of complexity to a minimum. In particular, an improved drum-type seasoning applicator would be capable of applying seasoning uniformly to food products—such as snack chips, snack crisps, and other farinaceous products—without the need for pre-seasoning liquid spray application or post-seasoning drying.